Posted on Feb 24, 2023
Why The U.S. Navy Sends Oldest Nuclear-Powered Ships To Confront China
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Rather than consider the U.S. Pacific fleet’s agglomeration of older aircraft carriers and attack submarines an embarrassing sign of American weakness, the old nuclear combatants of the of Indo-Pacific Fleet deserve recognition for being as dangerous as they have ever been. With little to lose and nothing to prove, the relative combat value of nuclear-powered platforms increases as they age.
America’s aircraft carrier power plants were built to provide around 50 trouble-free years of service, and the lifespan of America’s submarines is similarly fixed. In a rough sense, the combat value of most nuclear combatants is inversely tied to the remaining service-life of each vessel’s nuclear power plant. Any loss of a relatively young nuclear vessel echoes through America’s overall force structure, while older nuclear craft enjoy the freedom to operate under a very different risk calculus—they can be employed far more aggressively.
America’s aircraft carrier power plants were built to provide around 50 trouble-free years of service, and the lifespan of America’s submarines is similarly fixed. In a rough sense, the combat value of most nuclear combatants is inversely tied to the remaining service-life of each vessel’s nuclear power plant. Any loss of a relatively young nuclear vessel echoes through America’s overall force structure, while older nuclear craft enjoy the freedom to operate under a very different risk calculus—they can be employed far more aggressively.
Why The U.S. Navy Sends Oldest Nuclear-Powered Ships To Confront China
Posted from forbes.com
Aircraft Carriers
Submarines
China
Nuclear
Posted 1 y ago
Responses: 4
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Very interesting risk management calculus, and it does make some sense from a fleet management perspective. If I were crew, however, I would hope that any enhancements made would deal with survivability.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."America’s aircraft carrier power plants were built to provide around 50 trouble-free years of service, and the lifespan of America’s submarines is similarly fixed. In a rough sense, the combat value of most nuclear combatants is inversely tied to the remaining service-life of each vessel’s nuclear power plant. Any loss of a relatively young nuclear vessel echoes through America’s overall force structure, while older nuclear craft enjoy the freedom to operate under a very different risk calculus—they can be employed far more aggressively.
As nuclear-powered combatants age, they essentially become expendable assets, granting Navy commanders a measure of operational freedom they can never enjoy with a brand-new nuclear vessel. It’s why America’s oldest aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) has spent most of the past two months operating with near impunity in the South China Sea."...
..."America’s aircraft carrier power plants were built to provide around 50 trouble-free years of service, and the lifespan of America’s submarines is similarly fixed. In a rough sense, the combat value of most nuclear combatants is inversely tied to the remaining service-life of each vessel’s nuclear power plant. Any loss of a relatively young nuclear vessel echoes through America’s overall force structure, while older nuclear craft enjoy the freedom to operate under a very different risk calculus—they can be employed far more aggressively.
As nuclear-powered combatants age, they essentially become expendable assets, granting Navy commanders a measure of operational freedom they can never enjoy with a brand-new nuclear vessel. It’s why America’s oldest aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) has spent most of the past two months operating with near impunity in the South China Sea."...
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